RESOLUTION

LANDMARKS

PRESERVATION

CITY

WHEREAS,

1982-1

OF

ADVISORY

BOARD

OAKLAND

proposal

to designate the following

building and site as a
provisions of Section 7002, special regulations for
Designated Landmarks and Section 9507, City Planning Commission or Landmark
Board proposal, of the Oakland
Zoning Regulations has been considered by the
Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board; and
a

Landmark pursuant

the

to

WHEREAS, the Advisory Board believes that the proposed Landmark has
and special historical, architectural and
aesthetic interest
and value; and that the
proposed designation would be in furtherance of and

special character
in

now

conformance with the purposes

therefore be it
RESOLVED:

proceedings
Sections

standards

of

said Sections

7002

and

9507;

That

this Advisory Board intends to and does

formally initiate
designation of a Landmark pursuant to the provisions of
9507 of the Oakland Zoning
Regulations, the following:

for the

7002

and

Central

Block, 1102-1118

recommends
as

and

East

12th Street; and that this Board

the

to

City Planning Commission that this designation

described by the following section be
approved:

Section

1_

Central

Block:

Original

11021118 East 12th Street

Owner:

Charles

Jurgens

Present

Owner:

Hinson Wu

Date

Period:

1880-81

or

Original
Present

Use:

Shops, offices, dwellings

Use:

Vacant

Architect:

J.
C. Mathews

Contractor:

Unknown

Construction:

Wood

Style:

Italianate; Stick/
Eastlake

Number

of

Stories:

and

Son

frame

elements

The special character and

special historical, architectural and aesthetic
interest and value of said Landmark
justifying its
are as

designation

City

tax

assessment

follows:

records

indicate that this building, identified

18821901 Sanborn Map, was constructed
between mid1880 and mid/
1881 for Charles Jurgens, a significant
early settler whose success in real estate and other businesses
the " Central

as

alled
a

the

number

Block"

of

early
of

Jurgens

born

was

City.
a

immigrants

on
was

par-

including

was

one

of

contributed to the commercial

area.

that

of

Justice of the

Peace.
After attending
sixteen, he sailed for New York
Detroit, Michigan, where he was employed
by

at

then traveled to

in

who

He

January 3, 1844 in Waldeck, Germany. His

father,
an
influential citizen of that town, where he held

public schools,

He

clerk

German

the Brooklyn

William Jurgens
several offices
local

an

economic development and growth of Oakland.

development

the

on

about age

general mercantile store for the next three

In 1863,
years.
for California via Panama.
After landing in San
Francisco,
crossed the Bay on the
steamer, Clinton, which then
a

he headed
he
At

made

that

time,

covered the

in

an

where

in

old

he

Oakland had

streets.

grocery

firm.

established his

partnership with

store

He

daily trips.

only three business blocks, and deep

located
Tn
own

in

1868,

then

San

he moved

grocery/liquor

Herman Rathjen.
In
and constructed the " St. John's

Antonio,

to

where he

sand
clerked

Temescal ( now North

business

Oakland),

Telegraph. Avenue
his grocery/liquor

on

1876, he sold
411 12th Street,
House",at 409-

2-

said to be the

included
in

seen

first brick business

basement

and

Oakland business

an

building.

sidered these innovations to be

Jurgens Block
also

He

the

at

building

on

that

street. It

plate glass front, innovations

Local

foolish.

southeast

of

corner

also

before

never

people, generally,

About

13th

1880,

Street

he built

and

con-

the

Broadway.

operated the Laclede House ( 1890'

and the Globe Hotel
1880's)
1904),both located in the Jurgens Block. In 1905, he bought

around

out, in partnership with his son, the W.M. Watson Company, a wholesale
liquor business, which he called the Winedale Co. He also served as
Director of many large banks and other business establishments.
He

married to Catherine ( or Katherine)

was

and

sons

two

notice in the October 1880

contract

Springer,

and

had

they

two

daughters.
issue of California Architect

and

Building Review ( p. 100) indicates that the Central Block was

designed as a " store and dwelling" by J.
C. Mathews and Son, one of
Oakland's

earliest and most prolific architectural

of "about $
8,
000". The

cost

structure

shop,
Free

the block

on

store

grocery

Reading Room,

face
and

building
in the

and

of the branch

one

1880's

photographer's

the

was

firms,

housed

studio.

libraries

built

and

at

earliest commercial

in

the

and

produce

The East

City,

poultry

Oakland
was

also

here.

The

Central

Block appears to be among the last of

Jurgen's major
buildings still standing, many of his downtown structures having been demolished. The building is part of a group of similar 19thcentury commercial structures occupying the north side of East 12th.

business

Street

between

important
centered

The

11th

along

East

is

building

and

of

remnant

12th

the

which together constitute the most

century Brooklyn business district,

Avenues

19th

12th Street

contributory

and

to

13th Avenue.

possible historic district.

Additional References

Hinkel, Edgar:

The WPA

History

Gwinn,

History

of

said

The
features

J.
M.:

Landmark

existing

as

on

graphs,

case

in

File LM 82127,

Case

the

of

1938
Oakland, 1852-

State

of

California and Oakland and Envirens

should be preserved

generally in all its particular exterior

the date

as

hereof and

report and other material

a

file

on

description being

as

described and depicted in the photoin the Department of City

Planning

follows:

This

building is a rectangular corner twostory attached wood

structure, originally with residential use on the upper floor

commercial

uses

pent

roof

ing,

blank

on

the

lower

sides with

two

on

frieze, dentil

floor.

The

running

flat

roof

has

frame
and

parapet with

entablature with. architrave mold-

and molded

cornice with brackets with

facade has polygonal bay windows
plus
a
corner bay, all with
oneone,
over- doublehung rectangular sash, paneled
aprons with circle motifs, and a variety of incised and relief

knob pendants.

The East

course

12th Street

Ornament

above
runs

the

window heads.
the walls

across

shop fronts along

siding.
pilasters

small

pent

octagonal
The

over

of

at the

line

12th

Street

remaining shop

with molded

window sash.
roof

East

A band

caps

and

of

the

blocks

intersecting

covered

The

ornament

ground floor

with polywood
11th Avenue facade has
over

bay on the
glazed transom section above fixed show

circa

the

1900 photograph indicates that the

portions of the
bay window were originally extended upward to form

is

experiencing obvious structural problems.

East

12th

Street

has

been braced with

buttresses angled at 45 degrees.

storefronts may

represent

location of

said Landmark

is

as

set

of

The party wall

heavy timber
plywood sheathing on the East 12th
further attempt to stabilize the struc-

The

ture.

The

incised

window heads.

have been

front
a

with

cones.

building

Street

square

follows:

3-

Beginning

at

line of East

point

12th

formed

Street

by the intersection of the northern

with

the

eastern

line

of

11th

Avenue

and

thence

running

northerly along said line of 11th Avenue a distance

of 105 feet; thence at right angle easterly a distance of 100 feet
thence at right angle southerly a distance of 105 feet to said line
of

12th

East

Street

Street; thence westerly along said line of East 12th

distance of 100 feet to the point of beginning.

Assessor's

Parcel No. 32.

20118-

t:~.

RESOLUTION

LANDMARKS

PRESERVATION ADVISORY

CITY

WHEREAS,

proposal

Landmark pursuant

to

the

1982-2

OF

BOARD

OAKLAND

to designate the following building and site as a

provisions of Section 7002, Special Regulations for

Designated Landmarks and Section 9507, Planning Commission or Landmarks Board

proposal, of the Oakland Zoning Regulations has been considered by the Landmarks

Preservation

Advisory Board;

and

WHEREAS, the Advisory Board believes that the proposed Landmark has
and special historical, architectural and aesthetic interest

special character
and

value; and that the proposed designation would be in furtherance of and in

conformance
now

with

therefore

the

for

Sections

7002

and

standards

said

of

Sections

7002

and

9507;

That this

RESOLVED:

proceedings

purposes

it

be

Advisory Board intends to and does formally initiate

designation of a Landmark pursuant to the provisions of
9507 of the Oakland Zoning Regulations, the following:

the

and

Williams' Block, 1148-56

to

East 12th Street; and that this Board recommends

Commission
that this designation as described by
City Planning

the

the

section be

following

Gartinn

approved:

l_

Williams' Block:

1148-56

Original

George Williams

Owner:

East

Present

Owner:

Hinson Wu

Date

Period:

1885-86

or

Original
Present

Use:

12th

Commercial/residential

Use:

Commercial/residential

Architect:

Unknown

Contractor:

Unknown

Construction:

Wood

Style:

Stick commercial

Number

The

Stories:

of

Street

Two

special character

and

frame/brick party

wall

with basement

special historical, architectural and

justifying its designation are as

interest and value of said L

' andmark
the

According

City

tax

aesthetic
follows:

records, this corner building was conGeorge

Williams, a San Francisco attorney
who at that time commuted from his large home on 8th Avenue. (
Williams
later moved to another house, still
standing at 1930 10th Avenue). The
structed

second
street

in 18851886

assessment

for

R.

story originally contained offices and lodging rooms, while the

level houseed a grocery store, dry goods store and dressmaker.

The

building is a good example of the business blocks that were erected

Clinton/Brooklyn commercial district of East Oakland during
the 1880's and 1890's reflecting Brooklyn's growth as a desirable residential suburb during that period.
Together with the Central Block at
1102-18 East 12th Street, the building is an important anchor for the
most intact block face in what was once a
thriving commercial center.
in the old

The

building's prominent

thoroughfare,
roof make

and

its

corner

locations

distinctive

it the principal visual

and

on

East

conspicous

12th Street,
corner

pyramidal

landmark within the old

major
towered

commercial

center.

2-

The

building

The

said

is

contributory

Landmark

terior features

to

possible historic district.

should be preserved

generally in all its particular

ex-

existing on the date hereof and as described and depicted

in the photographs, case report and other material on file in the
Department
City Planning in Case File LM 82127, a description being as follows:
This

as

is

building

frame

twostory rectangular attached structure of wood

construction with

a brick party
exposed elevations terminate with

two

with

of

wall
a

and

semiflat roof.

pentroof above

an

The

entablature

architrage, frieze panels, dentil course and bracketed cornice

extending downward to integrate with the vertical
of the second floor window
framing. At the corner, a canted

with the brackets

trim

rectangular window is capped by a tall second stage pyramidal roof

form; two other rectangular bay windows project from the East 12th
Street

facade

originally
a

weathervane

the

end

along

the

at

ran

sat

and the
of

center

of

the

that wall.

Iron

cresting

top
pent
and, until recently,
the top of the corner pyramidal roof. Windows

at

roof

in

doublehung
rectangular frames with strap-like ornament. Bands
of
consisting
repeated decorative Xshaped floral panels extend above
are

the window heads

panels directly

and below the

below the

projecting molding with

ing upper wall surfaces
lower

portions

the windows
to

the

of

have

right

of

dentil
are

been

the

on

bay

like

The

and

far

small

left

plywood.

have been

elements, which form the bases

structure

The
at

covers

drop siding. The

the panels below

single window immediately

covered with metal

for the brackets

Much of the window

the upper

portion

East

and

location of said Landmark

at

point

formed

is

as

ply-

framing terminate in strap-

sash

has

of most

been
of

in

the

altered.

floor
The

the

building has
large sign identifying

rear

used

of

the

storefronts.

interior of the upper floor retains many

original features
one mirrored and tiled
fireplace mantle.

Beginning

remain-

and

least

The

The

apparently replaced with the existThe ground floor has been altered so that

paneled bases of the shop fronts remain. The

an upper
story service porch with shed roof.
the

rectangular

indicated by

brackets.

bay
A

to

is

channeled

intact vertical elements of the

division treatment.

line

was

ing ' shorter paired windows.

some of the wood
framing members
wood.

floor

course

covered with

central

line, changing

The

covered with

the windows

the

sill

sills.

including

follows:

by the intersection of the northern line of

12th Street with the western

line of 12th Avenue and

running

thence

northerly along said western line of 12th Avenue a distance of 100 feet;
thence at right angle westerly a distance of 75
feet; thence at right
angle southerly a distance of 100 feet to said line of East 12th Street;
thence easterly along said line of East 12th Street a
distance of 75 feet
to the point of
beginning.
Assessor's

Parcel

No. 27.
20118-

r,

173414
Recording Requested By:
Director of City Planning
Oakland City Hall
1421 Washington Street
Oakland, CA. 94612

RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORDS

OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIF.
RENE C. D,
AUIDSON, County Recorder

O~
J 1.5
When

1982

Recorded Mail To:

Director of City Planning/Zoning Division

Oakland City Hall

7~
2i1i2i3i4i5i6
8i9i14iilli]

1421 Washington Street, 11th Floor

Oakland, CA. 94612

Space Above For Recorder's

Use

Only

127
FILE: LM 82-

ZONING CASE

NOTICE OF DESIGNATION OF A LANDMARK

BY THE CITY OF OAKLAND

The

City

Council of

the

City of Oakland has determined

signated that

the property described

passed

on

2
July 20, 19$

Site.

A copy of

said

City of Oakland and

is

ordinance

may

in Ordinance

include

is

on

10246

C.
S.,
M.

Landmark and/or

and de-

file with the

Landmark

City Clerk of the

requirements for the preservation

of

the property.
The

designated property lies within Alameda County Assessor's

and 13
cel No. 20~118-$
20118-

1102-1114 East

Oakland,

Street

and

is

generally described

1148-1156 East

12th

as:

Street

California

The assessed
is

12th

and/or

Par-

owner

of the property for the fiscal tax year

Hinson Wu

by
Director of C
y
City of Oaklan ,

Planning
a

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA

APPROVED:

On

City Attorney

August lg,

for the

me

City

to

of

the within
he
that

p~
uit:Esp~s ~23.
Y)Me
t1i4

R.
D.
E. File

4~

101-16

before me, the under-

and for said

County
Norman J. Lind
of

Oakland whose

name

instrument,

and

Name

and

City Planning ~-~

is

subscribed

acknowledged

executed

Notary's Signature
pRINT Notar y'

82,

be the Director

t)
FFICIAi. SEAL

COUNTr OF ALAMEDA

SS.

19

to

NOTARY PUBLIC GAIIFORNiA

signed, a Notary Public in

State, personally appeared
known to

LUGS P. OUVER

municipal corporation

the

to

me

same. ~